


Twin Size Mattress

by wolf1Ez



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Past Relationships, Semi-Slow Burn, Supermodel!Widowmaker, Video Game Streamer!Tracer, mentions of domestic abuse, theyre rivals but also they love each other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-21
Updated: 2020-03-14
Packaged: 2020-07-09 18:53:42
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,302
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19892665
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolf1Ez/pseuds/wolf1Ez
Summary: In the wake of a recent divorce and liberated from her previous contracts, Amelie Guillard found herself in a new city and a new country. It took some grit and a little bit of luck to be where she is now, but she couldn’t be happier.However, by some cruel twist of fate, she ended upneighborswith her infuriating online rival, who goes by the alias ‘Tracer.’





	1. March 14th, 2017

**Author's Note:**

> It’s ya BOI back at it again with another fic ayoo 
> 
> I’ve been workin on this baby for a while actually and it’s outline sat in my google docs for ages until I finally decided to get off my ass n tackle it. Btw the title is totally based off that one the front bottoms song of the same name. 
> 
> Anyway, w/o further ado: here’s Twin Sized Mattress!

It was strange, Amelie felt, to start one’s life anew filled with the freedoms that came with autonomy. Free to do what she pleases whenever she wanted without fear of being reprimanded for consuming too many calories or staying out too late. It was refreshing to say the least.

But that autonomy came at the price of a new luxury apartment on the other side of the world.

She grunted as she flipped a box of clothes on its side over the final step of the staircase leading to her new apartment. The box let out a worrying crack, like tape ripping from cardboard, so she started to push it over the carpet instead. It slid smoothly to the end of the hallway.

Just another five trips, Amelie thought bitterly as she fished her keys from her back pocket. The key slid in and turned with little resistance. However, the door didn’t budge when Amelie tried to push the door open. She tried again, with a little more force. Nothing.

She pressed her shoulder against it and leaned her weight into it. It didn’t move, not even a centimeter. 

In a flurry of frustration, Amelie took a step back and rammed into the door. 

Finally, it flew open with ease and she tripped over her foot, collapsing on the floor as gracefully as a fledgling takes flight for the first time. 

Amelie swore and picked herself up off the ground, rubbing the new bruise forming on her knee. She stood after ensuring the damage to her knee wasn’t bad and laid her hands on her hips to look at her living room. 

While barely furnished with a simple black couch in the living room and a few paintings hung on the walls, the apartment was already beginning to look like home. She had already imagined how she would decorate for when the moving trucks would arrive later in the afternoon with the rest of her furniture, but another layout was already forming in her mind. 

A small smile found its way onto her lips. 

Finally a home for her, and her alone. 

Yet in spite of that freedom, the apartment felt empty with the lack of another body occupying it with her. She shook herself from the thought of loneliness; she would take the loneliness over feeling like a prisoner in her own home any fucking day. At least, that’s what she kept telling herself anyway.

“Yu al’ight im ‘ere, wuv?” 

Amelie physically jumped away from the sound and whipped her head around. 

A young woman stood in her doorway, towel wrapped around her neck. Her short brunette hair was damp, clinging to her forehead and cheeks, and a toothbrush hung from her mouth, white toothpaste froth foaming around the corners of her lips. Her sparkly eyes and top half of her face are obscured by a pair of hazy orange, round rimmed, sunglasses. Freckles littered her cheeks and even trail down to her neck and exposed collarbone. She wore a small black sports bra and -- Amelie blanched at this -- a pair of neon orange running shorts accompanied by a pair of black, knee-high socks and slides. 

She may had been staring for too long, because the girl pulled the toothbrush from her mouth and frowned up at her with her hands planted on her hips.

“Well? You gotta’ problem or are you gonna keep staring?” she demanded, pointing the toothbrush at her. Amelie made another face. 

“Can I help you?” Amelie asked and stepped forward to stand in her own doorway, forcing the stranger to take a step back. 

“Well, excuse me, but I heard a thud and I just wanted to make… Make sure that…” the girl trailed off and Amelie stared down at her with a raised brow.

“I’m fine, you can leave—” she began to reassure but the girl still stared blankly back.

Then she suddenly raised an accusatory finger and pointed it between Amelie's eyes.

“Y-Y-You! You’re Amelie! Amelie Gee-yard!” she yelled with urgency.

Amelie cringed at her horrid pronunciation but kept her composure. “Yes I am, do you want a signature or something?” She was no stranger to people recognizing her in public (or in this case, right in front of her apartment door) and asking unabashedly for a photo or her autograph.

The girl hurriedly scrubbed her face with the towel and took her sunglasses off, staring up at Amelie brazenly.

“I’m Lena Oxton!” she announced, like she wanted it pinned on the refrigerator.

Amelie blinked.

“‘T-Tracer’?” 

Amelie shook her head.

Lena looked visibly heartbroken but she suddenly perked up then twirled around to grab her phone from her pocket. She opened it to her Twitter and showed Amelie her latest Tweet with a triumphant smirk, “Recognize me now?”

It was one of Amelie’s own Tweets, a photo from her recent visit to Dorado with a fellow model, followed by a worded and photo reply from another verified user. 

From @theSlipStream, the line read: ‘Modeling must be soooo exhausting! Having to stand around lookin’ pretty all the time... Good thing I use @TurtleBeach ‘s Stealth 600 w/ poofy ear muffs n surround sound for the BEST and MOST comfortable gaming possible!!! #turtlebeach’. The photo accompanying the post was of the girl, Tracer, in an exaggerated pose, upside down and back bent over a couch armrest, the headphones dangling around her neck as she winked up at the camera with a smug grin. 

The amount of replies on the tweet were insane, several users retweeting with memes and flooding the replies, repeatedly tagging Amelie's public account.

Amelie bit her lip. Oh, she definitely remembered now. Tracer, the gaming streamer that Gabriel was _so_ infuriatingly fond of. 

“You're the streamer that makes a fool of anyone that doesn’t play video games or whatever,” Amelie said through gritted teeth. 

Lena smirked, “Entertainment comes in all shapes and sizes, love. Also it’s called _satire_. I only tease the cheeky bunch; people of the likes of you.”

As much as Amelie would love to throw this idiot down the stairs, she had five other boxes to drag up the stairs and unpack. So she merely scoffed and breezed past her with a not so subtle bump to her shoulder.

“Oof! Hey, wait--!”

“What?” Amelie turned so quickly with such sharpness in her voice that Lena was taken aback.

“Do… You need any help? With moving in?” Lena offered timidly, cocking her head to the side.

Amelie doesn’t answer at first but Lena continued to look up at her expectantly. She weighed her options: take five hours to manually lift every box upstairs to spare her pride or take 15 minutes together with this ecstatic idiot. It wasn’t much of a contest, unfortunately.

“I have five boxes downstairs by the broken elevator.” Amelie said, shortly, “Drop any of them, and I’ll drop you down the stairs.”

She said it so casually that Lena almost didn’t pick up on the threat. Before Lena could even retort, Amelie was already descending the stairs. She jogged to catch up and found Amelie poking the tip of her shoe at a box in the lobby, brow raised. “This is one of the lighter ones; you can take it.”

Amelie squatted to pick up another as Lena picked up the one Amelie pointed at. She lifted it with ease and skipped up the first flight as Amelie slogged after her. 

“Y’wanna trade boxes?” Lena asked, brows furrowed, “This one is as light as feathers.”

“Your funeral.” Amelie grunted and plopped the box down for Lena to pick up. Lena bent down and lifted it as easily as she did the first one and made her way up the second flight with the same grace, much to Amelie’s surprise. 

By the time Amelie made it to her door, Lena passed her on her way down to get more boxes. In the time that it took Amelie to bring up two boxes, Lena brought three. 

“If you ever need a hand, I’m right next door,” Lena grinned up at her cheekily, “Nice meeting you, _neighbor_!”

Lena disappeared into her own apartment across the hall as Amelie watched her curiously.

Despite their first conversation, she wasn’t nearly as obnoxious as Amelie imagined her to be.

As she closed and locked the front door, Amelie leaned her back against it and took in the sight before her. Several unopened boxes laid around, just about to burst from its contents. The hours it would take to open, take out, organize, and mend overwhelmed Amelie so much so that instead of getting a headstart on unpacking, she walked over to her couch and fell face first into a nap.

Three sharp knocks at her door interrupted her well deserved rest. She groaned as the knocking became louder and more insistent.

“Amelie!” a man’s voice called out. “Am-e-lie!” Each syllable of her name punctuated with a knock.

She stumbled to and wretched the door open and and Gabriel leaped away, nearly dropping the food and beer protectively tucked away in his arms.

“Christ!” he declared, gripping his chest where his heart was and doubling over dramatically. Amelie only rolled her eyes at his theatrics and stepped aside for him to come in but he didn’t move. 

“What?” Amelie asked, watching his face sour when he saw the state of which her apartment was in. 

“You haven’t unpacked yet.”

“It was a long day.”

“Then where are we gonna eat? The _floor_?”

Amelie pointed to the empty area she cleared out in front of the couch like it was the most obvious thing in the world. There was a blanket placed there surrounded by rolls of used tape and packaging peanuts, “Yeah, I was thinking right over there.”

He made a face. 

“There’s a patio up on the top floor.” Amelie offered, leaning against the door frame. 

“Then let’s go, I’m sure the view is nice right about now; it’s Golden hour and all.” he said but Amelie pointed behind him to the elevator. It was blocked by yellow caution tape. 

“Roof’s ten floors up.” she said with a smirk.

Gabriel grimaced and dragged himself into her apartment. Amelie shut the door behind them and followed Gabriel to the living room. But before he could settle down on the floor, Amelie gestured towards her balcony. 

“We can eat out there. There’s some chair, still no table, but it’s better than the floor,” she said as they gazed out the window where the sun dipped just behind the tall buildings of downtown, setting the sky ablaze in shades of red, orange, and pink.

Gabriel stepped out first, setting the food down on the ground before leaning over the railing and taking in a deep breath.

“C’mon, Amelie, feel the fresh breeze just rolling off -- _oh God_ ,” he suddenly gagged and coughed, pulling himself away from the rail, “What is that _smell_?”

Amelie laughed as she settled down in one of the two patio chairs with a to-go platter of steaming white rice, marinated meat, and vegetables on her thighs. 

“City sights _and_ smells, Gabe. Take it a-ll in.”

She reached for a bottle of booze and popped the cap off by bashing it against the metal railing then offered it to her friend. Gabriel took it gratefully and in a single swig, downed half the bottle. Amelie responded by grabbing her own drink, popping the cap off, and guzzling it down. She belched uncharacteristically loudly. 

Gabriel cackled.

“Food still hot?” he asked as he reached down to grab his own platter. Amelie nodded and hummed and reached for another bottle to nurse instead of chugging it down. 

“Do we still have that shoot tomorrow? By that art museum?”

Gabriel grunted. “Don’t talk about work; I already had a handful with gigs from all over the city for you starting at, like, six in the morning.”

“Ugh,” Amelie sighed, “Tell me good new, please, Gabby?”

He strokes his chin, cogs working behind his eyes, trying to think of a story.

“That streamer -- Tracer -- tagged you in a post today,” he said, “Did you see it?”

Amelie shook her head and Gabe reached for his phone to bring up the post. “Speaking of that _abominable_ girl... “ Amelie trailed off as she read the post:

‘Ran into That™ model today… What’s her name again? Amy? No, Aimlee. Aimlee Garage! @Amelie_Gerard’... followed by the two Spider-Man’s (men?) pointing at each other meme labeled as Tracer and Amelie. 

Her ears glowed bright red and Gabriel pulled his phone away before she could throw it over the ledge. 

“I take it you two ran into each other earlier today?” asked Gabriel. Amelie huffed indignantly.

“She’s my _neighbor_.” Amelie spat.

Gabriel choked and beat his chest between hacks. “Yuh-You’re j-joking!”

“Want to give a knock to apartment 306?” Amelie glowered as she stabbed her rice, “She’s alright, though, she helped me with carrying some of the boxes to my apartment...”

Suddenly, a loud bass note from inside frightened them both and Amelie’s food nearly fell from her lap. 

“What the hell?” Gabriel cried, throwing the glass door open. On the counter by the kitchen, Amelie’s bluetooth speaker glowed a brilliant sky blue and pulsed with the beat of the music. Amelie followed him inside, hands over her ears, and shouted instructions on how to turn it off. The music suddenly stopped almost as soon as Gabriel picked it up.

There was about a second of silence before wild, sexual moaning blared from the speaker and Gabriel nearly dropped it in surprise. He juggled it around in his hands, trying to find the off button.

“Oh God, _yes please! Fuck me_ \--!” 

“Gabe! Turn it off!” Amelie shouted, mortified. He flipped it around, helplessly, trying to find the off button, which was admittedly difficult to do in the dark. He managed to drop it twice before thrusting it in Amelie’s direction in frustration. 

“I can’t fuckin’ turn it off!” he yelled over the erotic groaning and grunting, “What porno is this loud?!”

Amelie grabbed it from him and turned the cursed thing off with the push of a button. The speaker choked and died but not before it let out a mechanized voice:

“Disconnected from: Lena’s iPhone.”

It took every ounce of will not to throw it outside over her balcony. Amelie pressed her palms to her heated cheeks and heaved a tired sigh much to Gabriel’s amusement.

“‘She’s alright.’” he quoted ironically with a wry smile.

That prank was mild compared to the other ones Lena pulled throughout Amelie’s first month. Amelie got a warning on her first night from the landlady over the (ahem) volume and to keep it down from now on or face eviction. When Amelie tried to explain herself, the old woman told her to save it. 

“I do not care who or what caused it!” she argued, “I got complaints from your entire floor. Next time, I will not be as generous.”

“I understand, Ms Amari. I’m sorry.” Amelie said curtly.

From then on, Amelie suffered prank after prank. They were harmless really, all in hopes of getting a reaction out of her for the sake of Lena’s viewers. But Amelie knew better. 

Especially after years of forcing herself to keep an unwavering equanimity both in real life and online with her previous manager, she happened to be a professional in that aspect of modeling.

After the bluetooth fiasco, Lena spent the next week trying to scare her by hiding in the most obscure places. From inside of one of the dryers in the communal laundromat downstairs to waiting around every corner to jump out and scare her as Amelie walked to work, but not once did Amelie give her or her viewers the satisfaction of seeing her react. Which disappointed Lena when Amelie shut the door in her face as Lena, wearing a grey goblin mask, hung upside down from the balcony above Amelie’s apartment.

The week after, Lena showed more of her arsenal of pranks. On Wednesday, Lena taped a roll of wallpaper over Amelie’s door and with her deft fingers, was able to cleanly and completely conceal the door. When Amelie came home that evening, Lena even chanced timing her leave for her nightly gym session with the same time Amelie came home. 

Lena peered at her from the stairs as Amelie walked up to her apartment. She found it almost impossible to keep quiet but managed when Amelie looked up and down the area of the wall that used to be her door. But, ever so cool and unfazed, Amelie simply grabbed a pocket knife from her purse, precisely cut into the wall to outline her door, and peeled the wallpaper off delicately. She unlocked her door, and stepped inside without so much as batting an eye.

Lena Oxton was stumped.

She was running low on her ideas for pranks and Amelie had seen through every single one; the clear plastic wrap strapped to her doorway, changing the room numbers around, hiding random articles of promiscuous clothing in the laundromat, even borrowing Angela’s pet cat and leaving her on Amelie’s balcony (which Lena had to go and retrieve it with a bashful apology before Amelie could try to adopt it).

Not a single reaction. 

Amelie was reading a novel in her now set up living room, complete with not only the couch, but as well as a low coffee table and plasma TV hooked up on the wall across from her. 

After a month of somewhat reluctant unpacking of clothes and belongings and trashing of old photos and the like, Gabriel and Amelie managed to officially get the latter moved in. It was laborious and when they finally finished unloading the final box last night, in celebration, Amelie offered to take them out to Talon, a local bar she had been eyeing since she moved in.

It was an interesting night to say the least. 

Gabriel ran into an old friend; Amelie was never able to catch his full name but she knew him as Akande. He was accompanied by a younger woman who went mysteriously by Sombra, and a much older woman that introduced herself as _Doctor_ O’Deorain. She was… Threatening to say the least.

Not only did she tower over Amelie, who already stood at a formidable 5’9”, she was overly invasive with her questions regarding her health. Peripheral cyanosis, poor blood circulation, diet, even her _sex life_ , and everything in between. The doctor's questions and Amelie's stiff answers were more than enough to keep her sober throughout the night.

Gabriel, on the other hand, was having the time of his life; throwing himself on the dance floor and giving _and_ earning lap dances from all sorts of folks. He was on another plane of existence the second they walked into the bar. 

Amelie ended up having to drag him from the bar and into her apartment. She didn’t mind, however. 

After years of freeing Amelie from her previous manager coupled with the laborious legal battles and mountains of paperwork that came with being both her photographer and manager, Gabriel Reyes deserved a night to himself and several more. 

Presently, it was nearly twelve in the afternoon and he was still passed out in her bed. Amelie readjusted herself on her couch and rearranged her legs underneath her -- her left foot was going numb -- and flipped the page in her novel.

She read the words without absorbing any meaning, but she couldn't be bothered. She thought of nothing but her schedule for tomorrow, the day after, then the following weekend --

_Bzzt!_

Amelie pinched the bridge of her nose. The apartment itself and the building’s location was perfect, but that _doorbell_. 

_Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzt!_

Amelie tossed her book down with a huff after dog earring her page and answered the door. 

It was her neighbor, Lena. This time, clad in tights and a big poofy orange jacket. Her tinted glasses pushed high above her nose.

“How?!” was the first thing she demanded.

Amelie gazed at her blankly. “How what?”

“Everything!” Lena cried a little more manically this time. “All my pranks all month, you bypassed them or just saw right through them! Even my _subscribers_ are rooting for _you_!”

Amelie crossed her arms, a subtle smirk playing on her lips. “All month? The only prank I was aware of was the one where you plastered wallpaper over my wall.”

Lena visibly deflated at this and threw her hands up, “Unbelievable! I quit! You win!”

“Whoszat the door?” a groggy voice asked behind Amelie. Gabriel, in all his glory, crept up behind her, dragging _her_ duvet on the ground, the corners tied around his neck like a cape. It seemed to be the only thing keeping him decent as he held it loosely to cover his bare chest and presumably exposed manhood. 

Amelie grimaced and made a mental note to run down to the laundromat later. 

“Uhm, I’m Amelie’s neighbor, Lena,” Lena introduced herself politely, desperately trying to keep her eyes glued to Gabriel’s half opened eyes, “Sorry for bothering you two, I didn’t mean to interrupt anything--”

Before Amelie could even speak, a not-so-sober Gabriel threw up. All over himself. And the duvet. Amelie grimaced harder and considered throwing the duvet out entirely. 

“I di’n’t do that ‘cuz I’m drunk,” he said indignantly, pointing an unsteady finger at the throw up and then Lena’s (un)accusing stare, “I did it ‘cuz that’s gross; Amelie is my sister!”

His voice cracked at the last syllable before he straightened and fell over backwards on his ass and promptly fell asleep.

Lena burst into a fit of giggles and, as embarrassing as Gabriel's first impression was, Amelie couldn’t not laugh along with her.

“He is much more better composed than this,” Amelie half heartedly mentioned as Lena wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. 

“Oh, don’t worry about it, love. Believe me when I say that I’ve seen worse. He seems like a fun lad, though,” Lena nodded towards him then looked up at her, “I reckon he’ll be alright by next week. Y’wanna… Make better first impressions? Me and a couple guys will be going out and you two are more than welcome to tag along.”

Amelie stepped over Gabriel’s legs and nudged them into her apartment. She looked back up with a small smile at the offer. “That sounds… Good. Thank you.”

This was a welcome change of pace, Amelie thought. After all, this girl didn’t seem all that bad.

Lena waved a hand with a toothy smile, “Don’t worry your pretty head about it. Consider it a peace treaty.”

She held out an open palm.

“Truce, neighbor?”

Amelie took her hand gently but gave it a firm, trustworthy shake. 

“Truce, _cherie_.”

“I’m surprised you didn’t shit yourself.” Hana piped up when Lena concluded her story of how she managed to ask a literal model out to a night out. Lena threw herself down on the counter in frustration, her forehead thudding against the surface.

“At the very least you’re alive.” Fareeha added and Lena groaned.

“What do you want us to tell you?” Hana asked with more exasperation. 

“Nothing,” Lena grumbled, “Nothing is fine.”

Fareeha brought a bottle over to top off Lena’s glass. Lena nodded and as soon as she finished pouring, Lena downed the shot instantly.

“Christ, I’m sorry,” Fareeha said wryly as Lena wiped her lips with the back of her hand.

“Hhhhit me,” she rasped but Hana pushed the glass away from her.

“O-kay, I think that's enough for tonight,” said Hana. Fareeha took the glass and began to clean and wipe it.

“You’re always such a hotshot at woo-ing other women, what makes this Amelie any different?” Fareeha asked.

Lena threw her hands up in frustration, face flushed from the alcohol and in embarrassment. “She makes it hard! I don’t know how else to get her attention besides making myself a jackass in front of her.”

Instead of replying with an indecent pun, Hana opted to pat her shoulder encouragingly. 

“So you spend a month pranking her then finally get the guts to ask her out after her roommate throws up on himself and passes out?” Fareeha reached underneath the counter to replace the shot glass before continuing, “Your timing couldn’t have been any better.”

Lena repeated Fareeha’s last statement in a mocking voice and slapped a ten dollar bill on the table. 

“Yeah, well, whatever. Just, please, when she and her friend comes over tomorrow, just _behave_.” 

Hana and Fareeha shared a look. “Aye aye captain,” the younger of the two affirmed.

“‘Kay great, I’m going home now, thanks for the drinks, ‘Reeha,”

“Good night, Lena. Stay safe.”

Lena gave one last wave before turning and leaving the bar to cross the street to her building.


	2. April 30th, 2017

Lena’s idea of fun included a very long list of very particular activities that showed off the city's nightlife, which intrigued Amelie. Besides Talon, she never found the time nor opportunity to explore. Lena had confessed that she wasn’t born nor raised in the city, but she loved the city so much that she spent her first two months unemployed and exploring every nook and cranny of every alleyway and narrow street. With this information in mind, Amelie trusted Lena’s guidance. 

“You ever gone bar hopping before?” Lena asked Amelie. She shook her head.

“No. Not since Gabe and my teen years,” she said casually. 

Gabriel snorted in response, “If you call going to various house parties that had a bunch of teenagers smuggling in alcohol out of their parents’ basements as ‘bar hopping’, then yes we’ve done that and more.”

Lena grinned at Amelie chagrin and opened the door for the pair to the first bar of the night: Bliss ReBar. One of the first things Amelie noticed upon walking in were the modern, hipster-chic, style: fairy lights hung from every surface, table, and inch of ceiling, a huge pride flag occupied one wall, and other surfaces had rusted, vintage style, metal-sheet posters. It was definitely somewhere Lena would take them.

“C’mon, this way!” Lena grabbed Amelie’s hand and they weaved through the crowd towards the bar. Lena squeezed between folks and bar stools and waved over the bartender, “Hey! Ginkgo!”

A bartender immediately tended to them from the other side of the counter. 

“Ayy, Lena! What’s good?” he greeted with a broad smile. One of the things Amelie first noticed was that the tips of his hair were dyed bright green. Second thing she noticed was the bright orange sweater hung loosely around his neck. Just her luck to pick a town full of people with awkward color choices.

Who’s your friend?”

Amelie formally held her palm out, “I am Amelie, _enchante_.”

He shook it vigorously, “My name’s Genji. Lena just calls me Ginkgo ‘cus she’s cute like that.”

“Nuh uh! I call you that because one time you--”

“Anyway,” Genji interrupted abruptly, flapping a hand in Lena’s face, “Anything on the menu catch your eye?”

Amelie’s eyes flicked upwards to huge chalkboard he pointed to above them, trying to read the names and the included ingredients. The list seemed to go on forever and she couldn’t figure out what to order.

“The Mermaid shots are my favorite,” Lena stage whispered to her, sensing her slight confusion, “It’s got a bit of Red Bull, some citrus, and like 12 other things. Sweet, but gives you the buzz you need to start the night off with a bang.”

“Four for two shots,” Genji added. Amelie just nodded dumbly.

“And a glass of today’s special for me!” Lena added as he reached under the counter to prepare their order.

They watched as Genji skillfully prepared their drinks, throwing a mixer over his shoulder, catching it behind his back, and cutting a few fruits in mid air before juicing them. He cracked open a can of Red Bull and layered the energy drink, incredibly thin citrus slices, dyed syrup, and vodka in each shot. 

“Two Mermaid shots, and a Rainbow glass,” he announced and presented the drinks to them, topping Lena’s glass with a little umbrella, “If you need anything, y’know who to call.”

With that, he left the two women. Amelie nudged one of the shots towards Lena with a raised brow. Lena took one and lifted it up to her with a grin. It was layered with shades of blue, purple, and pink, and if Amelie squinted, she could see tiny sparkles swimming in the glass.

“To new beginnings?”

Amelie raised her glass and tapped it gently against Lena’s with a soft smile, “To new beginnings.”

A new beginning indeed Amelie thought as she threw back the drink, feeling first the tartness of the energy drink on her tongue before a burning sensation ran down her throat. She swallowed hard, eyes tearing up at the bitterness and burning.

She wordlessly gestured for anything to chase it and Lena quickly handed her her glass. 

“God _damn_ ,” Amelie rasped after taking a quick sip of Lena’s sugary sweet concoction, which really wasn’t any better than the shot she took, “It’s so _potent_.”

Lena giggles as she retrieved her drink and took a sip for herself, “You say that like this is your first time at a bar.”

She rolled her eyes and gestured vaguely at the crowd, “It isn’t, if you must know. But based on the crowd alone, I feel that would be true for half the people here.”

“Oh, the night’s still young!” Lena protested, “There’s still some places I want to go to before calling it a night.”

”I hope they’re not all like this.” Amelie said, teasingly. Lena pouted in response and poked her with the tiny umbrella.

“I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you, now?” Amelie purred, amused.

“Of course! Just you wait, you n’ I—“

Someone cleared their voice from over the counter. They both looked up to Genji, who held a glass of some electric blue drink with a round slice of pineapple hanging off the side of the rim. 

“Hate to interrupt, but a girl from over yonder got you this, Lena. She said to send one back if you want her digits,” he said, sliding the glass to her with brows pumping. Lena stammered a thanks as he disappeared again to aid other customers.

Lena glanced between the drink and Amelie and Amelie only raised a brow.

“Well? I’m not going to stop you from, ehm, _scoring_ tonight.” Amelie said casually, but she couldn’t keep the drink away from her peripheral. Envy threatened to rear its ugly head but before Amelie could make a fool of herself, Lena pushed the glass away from them.

Lena chuckled nervously, tugging the collar of her shirt to let off a little steam, “Yea, well. That’s not what tonight is about, anyway. I’m here to show you around town, not really to flirt.”

With that, two shots down, and a tall glass of sugar and alcohol, Lena grabbed Amelie’s hand again and led her past the crowd. On their way out, they picked up Gabriel and the pair let Lena lead their way to the next bar. 

But at their next destination about a block down, Amelie had to close her eyes to hide the massive eye roll as Lena opened the door to a _sports_ bar. It’s interior and crowd fit the stereotype: banners of various sports teams filled the wall, a chalkboard on one wall was covered in T’s that kept track of bets for tonight’s games, and every conceivable corner possessed a flat screen TV delivering only HD displays of different sports games from around the world. 

“Christ,” was the only thing Gabriel muttered as he squeezed past bodies of jerseys and Amelie barked a laugh. 

“Three pints of your finest draft beer, my good sir.” Lena asked, reaching the counter first. 

The bartender was a huge man —even taller than Gabriel — with the build of the world’s strongest man alive. Without a word, he topped off three glasses and slid them over to Lena, who caught them easily without spilling a drop.

“Cheers, love!” Lena held up her glass with a grin. Amelie didn’t hesitate to clink their glasses together and she looked to Gabriel expectantly. The man rolled his eyes but clinked his glass to Lena’s. 

With that, they tipped their heads back. It was better than whatever they had at Bliss ReBar, Amelie thought, licking froth off her lips. In the corner of her eye, she caught Lena staring, and she raised a questioning brow.

Lena quickly looked away, a blush rising on her cheeks, then gently bumped elbows to Gabriel. 

“Verdict?” 

Gabriel held up a finger as he finished off his drink. 

Then he let out the deepest belch either Lena or Amelie had ever heard.

Lena and nearby patrons cheered and Amelie slid her head into one hand. 

“What a mighty roar!” the bartender bellowed jovially over the rancor with a pearly white grin under a thick white beard, “I’ve never heard such a sound! Another! On the house!”

Three more glasses of beer were slid their way, and Gabriel took his drink like a prize won from a carnival game, raising it above his head and looking for cheers. Lena clinked glasses and they downed their drinks together. Lena then raised her half empty glass to Amelie, waiting for her to clink their glasses. 

“Y'know you want to,” she sang in a sing song voice. Amelie only rolled her eyes and complied. 

With their free drinks nearly finished off, Lena brought them over to a nearby table and promised a round of shots and basket of fries before heading to the next bar before leaving for the counter. 

Gabriel watched Lena disappear back into the crowd before turning to Amelie with a certain look.

“What?” she asked accusingly.

“She’s more fun than I expected.” he said.

“And?” 

“...Do you, I don’t know… How do you feel about her?” 

There was a pause before Amelie burst into laughter. 

“Why do you make it sound like a middle school secret?” 

Gabriel chuckled with her, “I only wanted to know your opinion of her. I know this isn’t your sort of crowd and I told you to tell me if you ever wanted to bail out but… You look like you’re having a lot of fun. More fun than when you went to those fancy parties with Gerard.”

“I guess… I am having a lot more fun than I anticipated. Those parties back then were so exhausting, even if all I did was just stand around looking pretty,” Amelie hummed, poking at a napkin dispenser with idle interest, “This feels different.”

“A good different?” Gabriel asked.

Amelie smiled, “Definitely.”

The pair simultaneously looked up at the bar and spotted Lena’s spiky, brunette head almost immediately among the crowd of significantly bigger male patrons. But despite her tiny appearance, her personality blended in seamlessly, making jokes effortlessly as she waited for her order. 

Amelie watched with a small smile on her lips, until it slid from her face as a woman from the right approached Lena with a drink in each hand and offered one to her.

From the corner of his eye, Gabriel saw Amelie’s jaw clench by just a hair. His eyes flickered to her and she glared back.

Before he could tease her, she glowered and snapped, “Say anything and I will break your arm.”

It’s an empty threat, of course, which is why he only scoffed in response. “Was just gonna say I never thought you’d be the jealous type.”

“Oh sue me for worrying about her well-being.” 

They continued to watch as Lena politely conversed with the woman, declined the drink but swapped numbers, before grabbing the shots and basket from the bar to scurry back to their table.

Amelie quickly averted her gaze just as Lena plopped down next to her.

“Lemme tell you, you’ll never see chips the same after trying Reinhardt’s recipe,” Lena said eagerly, passing around the shots.

Gabriel shot Amelie a look that conveyed ‘we are _so_ talking about this later’ in a single glance before taking a shot from Lena. 

“They vegetarian?” he asked and Lena nodded before taking a fry for herself.

With that, the trio threw back their shots and chowed down eagerly, save for Amelie. Noticing her hesitance, Lena elbowed her.

“Tryna' keep that summer bod through winter or something, love?” Lena joked, obviously. But Amelie stiffened.

“I’m not… All that hungry. Sorry—“ she lied, memories of eating out in the past flashing through her mind. Old memories of never being allowed to order what she wanted and sticking to an already incredibly strict diet being constricted tighter and tighter every day she had and—

“I told you not to make that garlic bread before we left,” Gabriel said quickly, noticing his friend’s slight panic. Lena shrugged.

“More for us then!” Lena raised a fry towards Gabriel, “Cheers, love!”

Gabriel raised one to hers before he felt someone tap his shoulder. He looked over and saw a blonde man holding up two glasses, one of which was raised towards him.

“Uhm, hey. You’re new around here, aren’t you?” the man asked so quietly that Gabriel nearly didn’t quite catch what he said.

Amelie was about to answer for him as Gabriel sat silently gaping like a goldfish absolutely star struck, but Lena grinned and ushered themselves away. 

“Call us later, Gabe!” Lena called as she pushed Amelie towards the exit, “What a catch, ain’t he?”

Amelie snorted, “Hardly, Gabe couldn’t stop staring.” 

“Not _Gabriel_. I meant the farm boy with the pints. That was Jack Morrison. Also my old manager. A piece of work that one,” Lena informed, and in a low, Southern accent said, “ _Oxton, you got a brand deal this stream. Oxton, don’t forget to mention the clearance on Razer headphones. Tracer, blah blah blah!_ ”

Amelie actually snickered at that, “And all this time I thought you always worked independently.”

“I do now. But before, I kinda needed him to keep my head straight, especially after…”

Lena suddenly trailed off and the conversation died awkwardly. But Amelie chose not to push her, sensing it was too sensitive a topic to explore. It wasn’t long, anyway, until they arrived at the third and final bar of the night: _The Loft_.

Even from the outside, Amelie could see that it wasn’t as packed nor boisterous as the last two stops were. Pairs or groups of people were coupled at random tables or seats at the bar, sharing drinks and finger foods. It seemed like there wasn’t a lonely body in sight and it was a welcomed change of pace for the night, and Amelie felt a semblance of relief. The atmosphere was friendly and maybe peaceful even for a Friday night. 

Lena led her to the bar counter set in the center and was greeted by two women, one behind the counter and one sitting there with a drink at the ready. 

“Oxton!” the bartender greeted eagerly, gesturing to a glass next to the customer, “Made it here in one piece, huh?”

Lena grinned back, taking the drink, “Had to! Brought a friend to show around tonight, anyways. Amelie, Fareeha and Hana. Fareeha and Hana, Amelie.”

“Hello, nice to meet you,” Amelie said smoothly, bowing her head slightly. 

“Wow, I didn’t think Lena would pull through,” Hana chided, elbowing Lena playfully, “We all thought she was drunk or high or something when she told us _you_ were her neighbor.”

At this, Amelie’s lips lifted in a small smirk, “Oh, she talks about me?” she said, clearly amused. Lena hid her blush behind her glass. 

“You should meet the rest of us, we’ve got at least half a dozen other people you have to meet,” Hana added, pointing to a ring of people in the corner of the bar.

As if on cue, each of them raised their drinks towards them and gestured for them to come over and introduce themselves. 

At the same time, Amelie came to the stark realization that Gabriel wasn’t with them and she hesitated behind Lena and Hana as they made their way to the table. She wasn’t the type to blend in as easily as Lena with people, especially _new_ people, and Gabriel wasn’t there to bail her out in case it went bad.

Lena glanced behind her and found Amelie frozen in her spot by the bar. She let Hana go on, before turning around and making her way back to Amelie.

“They don’t bite if that’s what you’re worried about,” Lena said, settling Amelie’s nerves a little, and scooped up her hand in her own, squeezing gently, “You want to pop into the restroom real quick or just call it a night? Your call, love. Wouldn’t hold it against you at all.”

“I just need a drink real quick,” Amelie said then looked to Fareeha, “Strongest shot you have, please.”

Fareeha whipped up her order near instantaneously. Amelie stared at it curiously.

“What’s in it?” she asked, thinking back to the different drinks and mixes from the previous bars. 

“Whiskey, from the bottle.” she answered curtly. 

Amelie swallowed it in one go and faced Lena to lead them to the table. Lena only blinked but led her away nonetheless. 

There, Lena introduced Amelie to each of her friends. Their greetings are nothing below a polite greeting that Amelie could only hear as a monotonous hum. But she caught a few names from their chorus of greetings. 

Hana, from earlier, was chatting eagerly with a dark skinned man named Lucio. Next to them was a blonde woman, Angela, a doctor from a nearby hospital. She conversed half-heartedly with Hana and Lucio but kept throwing looks to Fareeha, who was still manning the bar. Lastly, a man sporting a ridiculous ten gallon hat and laughing at whatever Lena said, introduced himself as Jesse -- but more commonly referred to as McCree -- in a Southern drawl that Amelie thought was fake at first. However, the more he talked, the more Amelie realized, much to her horror, that the accent was _very_ real. 

Amelie seemed to fit in somewhat comfortably despite her initial anxiety, with Lena making sure she was included in whatever conversation carried on and keeping her up with the talk of the town. The night seemed to transition smoothly and it wasn’t long until they were the only party left. Somewhere along the line, Fareeha joined them, still in her work clothes, and had fun relaying Lena’s one sided prank war with Amelie as Lena slid down further and further in her seat. It was endearing, really, the way they good-naturedly teased each other.

The night ended when Fareeha was forced to kick them out late in the night and the group dispersed into the night, heading home, save for Lucio and Hana, who drunkenly pushed Lena to join them for late night snack at a local Waffle House.

Lena rubbed the back of her neck from outside the Uber and linked arms with Amelie, “Sorry, guys, but I gotta’ make sure Am’ gets home safe. Next time?”

They pouted but let her go before they drove off. Lena waited until the car rounded the corner before she heaved a sigh of relief. 

“Believe me when I say that I love those two to death, but they just don’t know when to stop,” Lena said, shaking her head. The pair remained still in the light of the closing bar and Lena became hyper aware of the fact that their arms were still linked and hurried to separate them. But Amelie held on. 

“What happened to taking me home?” she asked with a grin that clearly showed she was joking. 

“It’s right across the street, unless you need me to cross the way like a lil’ old lady,” Lena stuck her tongue out but didn’t have any complaints as she and Amelie crossed the street together. 

“I hope that elevator gets fixed soon,” Amelie muttered, glancing at the broken elevator as they ascended the stairs. 

“Three flights too much for you?” Lena giggled as Amelie dramatically sighed and put a hand over her heart. 

“Far too much. You’ll need to go on without me, Oxton.” she leaned against the girl and Lena laughed out loud, holding her up with ease. 

“Heaven forbid you die in my arms, Guillard.” 

They made it to their floor in one piece and Lena politely waited by Amelie’s door as she fished for her keys in her pocket. It unlocked with a flick of her wrist and with practiced movements, she opened the stubborn door with a familiar crack of paint unsticking from the frame. 

“Thank you, for tonight,” Amelie said. Lena saluted. 

“If you’re ever in need for a good time, y’know who to call,” her cheeks set ablaze from both the way Amelie looked at her and ludicrous amounts of alcohol she consumed tonight. 

With that, Amelie closed the door gently and Lena marched over to her room. She looked longingly at Amelie’s before entering her own home and flopping into bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'know I'm kinda leaning towards making this a hella slow burn but it honestly depends on what I can think up for this plot/au lmao
> 
> not to mention school's coming up, n i've got weird life shit to deal w/ so i might change the upload schedule to accommodate but you never know! so we'll see. til next time


	3. September 2nd, 2017

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mentions and slight depictions of domestic abuse

> _I’m at the beach for a shoot. Bring a swimsuit._

_Omw! Wheres at < _

_Ammmm?? Send the addyyy < _

_ >Huntington. I will send my location to you. _

_ >Amelie has sent her location _

_Blimey, that’s a lil ways away huh < _

_ >I didn’t want people interrupting Gabe in the middle of a shoot. You know how he gets. _

_Kk be there in a few :D < _

\---

It had nearly been six months since Amelie moved, but life was as busy as ever. Even though her photoshoots were highly exclusive, she and Gabriel were never short of clients and sponsorships. Work kept Amelie’s paranoia in the corner of her mind and for the first time in a very long time, she felt in control.

In control of her career, life, and maybe even her future. She only had Gabriel to thank for her newfound freedom, which she showed with copious amounts of free dinner.

As well as her patience.

“Texting to come over Lena already?” Gaberiel teased as he handed Amelie a water bottle. She took it from him without looking up from her phone.

And oh, did she have the patience.

“Just asking her if she’s free today.” and before Gabriel could even open his mouth, she quickly defended herself with: “She had mentioned it’s been a while since she last went to the beach.”

He raised a brow but said nothing more as he barked orders at the rest of the interns to pack it up and get going. 

“I’ll be heading out, then,” he told her as he loaded his own car with his gear, taking extra special care of his briefcase of camera lenses, “Are we still going out tonight for dinner?”

Amelie nodded, “We need to find another restaurant to go to instead of that same K-BBQ place over and over again.”

“You say that like you don’t love the place,” he said and grinned when Amelie didn’t protest. She opened her phone to Maps to show him a place Lena showed her once, but as if on cue, Lena’s orange Jeep Wrangler pulled into a nearby parking spot. 

She quickly hopped out, made eye contact with the pair, and waved enthusiastically before running around to the trunk to pull out what looked like a beach chair in its sling. 

“Is she wearing sweats?” he asked under his breath. Amelie struggled to keep a straight face as Lena approached him in her also bright orange sweatpants to comically match her car. 

“In all my years of living here, I’ve never seen this side of the beach before,” Lena said, brushing her long bangs from her eyes to look up at Amelie. 

“Don’t go around telling people about it,” Amelie said and reached over to bring her into a side hug they both were waiting for. After, Lena turned to Gabriel and looked up expectantly. 

He rolled his eyes and pulled her into a headlock to ruffle her hair. 

“God, when was the last time you got a haircut,” he teased as Lena struggled to break free. 

“Uhm, like a few months.” she said and yelped when her head finally popped out of his arm.

“More like a few years,” Amelie smirked. Lena shot her a look with the promise of murder in her eyes and Gabriel huffed a laugh at her stink eye.

“As much as I’d love to stick around and make fun of your bedhead with Amelie, I ought to head out. Jack needs me to set up his new TV,” Gabriel sighed as he unlocked his car with a sharp beep, “Twinks can’t do shit, huh.”

“That’s why there’s lesbians to keep the world from falling apart,” Lena said, throwing up finger guns at Amelie with a wink. The model rolled her eyes. 

“Yes, yes, and winning championships and all that as well.” Amelie added. Lena’s finger guns dropped and her mouth hung open in surprise.

“You watch footy?”

Gabriel, from inside his car, grimaced and Amelie looked at her unimpressed. 

“...What?” 

“I’ll let you know how installing the TV goes,” Gabriel said, ignoring Lena and pulling out of his parking spot, and sped off towards the city. 

“Reckon it’ll fall apart the second they put it together? Like in those cartoons,” Lena asked absentmindedly.

Amelie huffed a laugh, “I think it’ll end with the both of them in bed naked before they can open the box.”

Lena burst into laughter and readjusted the sling over her shoulder. 

“Well, lead the way, love,” Lena nodded towards the calm waters, “Looks like perfect weather for a swim.”

Amelie hummed and led Lena down a series of steps to the sand, “Where I used to live, I used to go to the beach any time I wasn’t hounded by Gabe to go to a shoot.”

“Aw, wish I could do that between streams,” Lena frowned as she spread her towel next to Amelie’s. At this, she raised a brow.

“What’s stopping you?”

Lena looked up at her, then the beach chair under her arm, then the water on the horizon.

“Just… Promise not to freak out or like stare?” she asked timidly. Amelie immediately nodded and gently sat next to her, nudging shoulders and brushing thighs together. Normally Lena would’ve turned tomato red at the contact but she seemed too distracted to notice how close Amelie was. 

Carefully, Lena placed the chair down next to her before reaching for the hem of her sweatpants and pulled them down from her waist slowly. 

“I’ve always hated how you’re favorite color is orange,” Amelie muttered and it seemed to dissipate Lena’s earlier hesitance as she chuckled at the remark.

Lena finally chucked the pants off, her legs splayed out in front of her. The first thing Amelie noticed was that the bottom piece of Lena’s swimsuit was black, contrasting her top, which was orange. 

She felt the onset of a migraine at the sight her awful choice of colors. 

But as her eyes trailed lower, she noticed that the flesh of her left leg stopped just above her knee and gave way to a white and blue, sleek and smooth prosthetic. Down the side of the calf of the prosthetic, in black words read _Vishkar Corporation_.

“...Am’?”

Amelie’s eyes snapped to Lena’s and found her face looking back expectantly. 

“I’m sorry,” Amelie said hurriedly, “I didn’t mean to stare, I was--”

“Woah, it’s alright, love,” Lena reassured, then reached for the chair, “I know you’re just curious. Stare if you want, I won’t take it personally.”

With her blessing, Amelie’s eyes trailed back to the prosthetic. 

“...Does it, uhm, hurt?” she asked lamely, fingers tracing the intricate patterns etched into it. 

Lena struggled with the drawstring of the chair but hearing the question made her pause, “What? Oh, no it doesn’t. I mean, it gets sore if I ever lean on it weird or wear it for too long but I’m used to it.”

Finally opening the bag, Lena pulled out, not a chair like Amelie thought, but another leg. It’s colors and design completely different from the one Lena currently wore but Vishkar’s logo still lined the side. 

“I might need a lil’ help if you don’t mind,” Lena asked, lifting her left leg towards Amelie. 

“What do you need?” 

“This is attached to my leg, kind of like a lego. When I undo the harnesses, you pull your way and I pull mine.”

Amelie nodded and when Lena undid some clips, she took hold of the foot readily. Lena wanted to laugh at how serious Amelie looked and Amelie glared at her for grinning. 

“What?” Amelie asked and Lena lost it.

“You look like you’re disarming a bomb,” Lena chuckled and shook her head, relief bubbling in her chest, “Sorry, just believe me when I say that it isn’t anything in the realm of serious. It’s just easier when someone’s lending a helping hand.”

Lena readjusted her position so she leaned backwards on her arms and dug her hands in the sand for traction before looking up to Amelie, “Ready?”

She nodded and tugged hard in her direction.

Just as Lena said, like a lego, it snapped free with ease. But Lena hadn’t expected Amelie to tug so hard, and her arse followed the force from Amelie’s end. Before either of them could react, Lena’s back and head fell onto the sand, arms pin-wheeling. Amelie gasped and quickly scrambled over her when she realized her mistake.

“Lena?! I’m so sorry, cherie, I didn’t mean to pull so hard,” Amelie said as she hovered over Lena, hands reaching to cup the back of her head apologetically. 

Lena’s earlier reservedness left her on read and her entire face glowed a bright red. 

“I-I’m, I’m all a-aces, love!” Lena stuttered, noticing how awfully close their faces were and hyper-aware of where Amelie’s hands were along her scalp. The worried crease between her brows remained despite Lena’s reassurance and Amelie helped her back up. 

“Do you need help putting on the other one?” Amelie asked, glancing at the second leg. 

“No, but do you mind putting that one in the bag?” 

Amelie shook her head and carefully placed the prosthetic in the bag as Lena clipped the other leg on. 

“What’s the difference between these two?” Amelie as she securely pulled the drawstring shut.

“This one,” Lena knocked on the leg, “is an older model. I’d just rather not spend hours cleaning sand outta my brand new one.”

Lena seemed to struggle putting on her leg so Amelie leaned over and gave it a solid push and it snapped back a solid click. Amelie stood and offered her hand to Lena. She smiled and took her hand and let her pull her onto her feet and together they walked hand and hand into the water.

The waves were calm and even just a few feet from shore, the water only lapped as high as Amelie’s shins. However, the further out they got, the higher the water rose, much to Lena’s dismay. Amelie smirked when she noticed Lena flinching at the cold water as a wave passed through, colliding with Lena’s waist.

“Something wrong, cherie?” she asked, flicking water in her direction playfully once the wave passed. Lena yelped at the cold drops splashing on her abdomen and she inched away.

“It’s just cold, and a lil’ deep,” she frowned, “You don’t know what it’s like ‘cus you’ve got legs for days.”

In response, Amelie drew her arms back and splashed more water in her direction. Lena gasped when it soaked her hair, disorderly spike flattening against her head. 

“Oh, I’ll get you for that one--!” 

Lena charged at her, wrapping her arms around Amelie’s shoulders and the pair crashed into the shallow water. All the while, neither could stop laughing.

“You’re so fucking annoying,” Amelie grimaced with mock-malice and drew Lena into her arms and dunking her into the next wave. Lena shook her head dry like a dog, getting sand and water all over Amelie’s face. 

“Ha!” Lena announced triumphantly before shrieking when Amelie just deadlifted and dropped her into the water.

Her head popped up a second later, spewing salty water from her lips and she pouted up at Amelie, who smirked down on her like a villain. 

“It’s the end of the line for you, Tracer,” Amelie purred and sunk into the water to swim out of Lena’s reach. 

“Oh, you’re not getting away that easily!” Lena laughed as she eagerly gave chase. 

\---

The sun still hung high over them, forcing Amelie to drag herself back to the parking lot and into her car to retrieve an umbrella for shade. After exhausting themselves in the water, the women lounged in the warm air of the beach on their towels, Amelie on her back and Lena on her front, in comfortable silence. It was only ever disturbed by the hiss and sigh of the ocean kissing the shore over and over again. Amelie could have easily dozed off with her best friend beside her watching after her and not a single worry in her mind.

“... You in the mood for some froyo?”

Amelie turned her head and saw Lena looking back at her with half lidded eyes. Amelie shrugged. 

“Are you asking because it’s my turn to pay?” Amelie teased.

“I actually think it’s my turn anyway,” Lena paused to yawn and change her position to match Amelie’s, lying on her back and stretching her limbs languidly like a cat, “Figured I still haven’t thanked you for telling me to bugger off after all this time.”

At this, Amelie raised a brow and she shifted onto her side to look at Lena, “And why would I?”

“I did make your first few weeks here Hell,” Lena shrugged, “You looked pretty heart broken when I had to take that cat back.”

“It was a cute cat,” Amelie frowned, poking her side, “It was a crime to tear it away from me like that.”

Lena huffed a laugh, “Well, you’ve got your own Garfield now anyway--”

“Her name is _Galatea_.” Ameliee huffed back with a glower. 

“Oh, my bad. Milk tea--”

“I am going to shove a handful of sand in your pants if you make fun of Galatea again,” Amelie threatened, cupping a small amount of sand in a fist. Lena cackled with a long, “No-o!” and wrestled her hand away from her. 

“Aren’t you supposed to buy a girl dinner before you get in her pants?” Lena challenged, pumping her brow playfully. Amelie rolled her eyes and sighed, laying back down but she put her head on Lena’s stomach instead of the ground. 

“Maybe you were right.”

“Oh ho ho, was I--?”

“That I should’ve told you to ‘bugger off’ when I had the chance.”

The wind carried Lena’s lazy titter at that, and, both hearing her laughter and feeling her small convulsions, Amelie can’t help but share her rapture. 

After a beat of silence, Lena shifted slightly. 

“Do you like it here? In this city I mean.” Amelie felt Lena’s hand gently stroke through her sandy locks, “I know you’ve mentioned that it’s _different_ here. But I know it can’t be perfect.”

Amelie allowed herself a moment to enjoy Lena’s ministrations before answering:

“It’s different. I’m still getting used to where everything is and Gabe and I still get lost every now and then. But…”

Lena waited patiently for her to continue. Or stop. But she continued.

“I’ve never told you the reason why I moved, have I?” Amelie asked suddenly, leaning up and looking down at Lena. The girl below her only shrugged. 

“Figured it was a touchy subject. I don’t wanna push you to tell me something you’re not ready to tell me yet,” Lena leaned up as well now and pulled her into a brief embrace, “But I’ll be here for you when you’re ready, love, even if you never tell me.”

Amelie returned the embrace with one arm and she heaved a small sigh, “You can be sweet for someone who’s normally a pain in my ass.”

Lena vibrated in her arms with a giggle before she leaned back down. She patted her abdomen with one hand, using the other as a pillow, inviting Amelie to lay on her again. Which she took happily.

Amelie took a deep breath as she laid back down on Lena’s stomach, “It’s a long story.”

“I’m all ears for you, love.“ Lena said softly. Amelie closed her eyes.

“I lived... In Annecy, France with a man named Gerard LaCroix, who was my previous manager. I could spend hours groveling over every red flag I missed when I was with him, but ultimately, he was the reason I had left Europe entirely.

“We met when we were young and stupidly fell in love and into a marriage. His photography… Had a certain but well established audience and he eagerly invited me to be a part of it. It wasn’t long until all of France and pretty soon all of Europe had their eyes on his camera and my figure.”

Amelie heaved a heavy sigh, “It’s strange what money does to man. We got rich quickly and easily enough, but he was never happy with the over abundance we had. He always demanded for more and more at the cost of less and less.

“I felt like a prisoner. He kept me on a strict diet, limited my time on outings and maximized my time in the studio, even kept me from my friends and family. But I kept reassuring myself that… He knew what was best for us. For me. Who am I to doubt the man that brought me everything I could ever ask for?” 

She grimaced and cradled her arms in her own, “I was stuck in my own infatuation and image that we were going to take Europe by storm, just the two of us. And all I had to do was stand around looking pretty.”

She paused again, waiting for Lena’s response, but the girl remained silent as she pet her hair, only listening and waiting for Amelie. 

“It was Gabe that pulled me out of that mess. He pushed me to seek therapy without letting Gerard notice and covering for me if he ever tried looking for me. Despite Gerard’s threats, Gabe never backed down, he wasn’t afraid even when he rightfully should have been. Several therapy sessions and months of Gabe’s ranting never made me realize… His abuse never struck me until, well… He hit me... I had told him everything I had rehearsed in therapy. I wanted to believe that we could salvage that relationship.”

Amelie paused to smile bitterly and wipe away a lone tear, “I never knew a bruise could be any color besides blue and purple.”

Amelie felt Lena’s abdomen pull taut under head and the hand combing through her hair flinched slightly.

“Three years into a one sided marriage and I didn’t realize it was that bad until he hit me. It was a sobering reality check. And I’m sure at one point we did love each other and only sought the best for each other. But somewhere along the line, that dynamic changed forever.”

Amelie readjusted her head so she could face Lena’s head, looking at the underside of her chin and the slight curves of her jaw, “So when you asked me back then, and I told you that it’s ‘different’ here, I meant that here feels more like home than when I was in my motherland, where I spoke the language and had familial roots centuries old,” she laughed bitterly, “Perverted, because a man decided _his_ future held more value than _ours_.”

“I’m sorry you had to deal with all of that, love,” Lena said, her hand reaching down and sweeping up Amelie’s hand tenderly, “I had no idea. Gods, and me teasing you online probably didn’t help either, huh?”

Amelie squeezed her hand reassuringly, “By the time I was in your radar, I was signing divorce papers and a restraining order with the same pen.”

Lena let out a cartoonishly large breath of relief, “That’s a relief.”

“You’re banter was kind of refreshing,” Amelie confessed, which Lena guffawed at incredulously, “It gets tiring when all you read in your feed are complements on how great your boobs and ass look in particular bikini every summer.”

Lena huffed a breath through her nose in disbelief, “Do you really have blokes like that online?”

“Unfortunately,” Amelie grimaced. 

Lena sat up, careful to let Amelie’s head lay on her lap. 

“I guess I gotta tell you about my leg then,” Lena said. Amelie reached up and brushed some of Lena’s long hair from her brows. 

“I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t curious,” Amelie said, “However, if it’s something you’d rather leave for another day, I don’t mind waiting.”

Lena’s eyes darted to hers before looking away bashfully from her intense gaze. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust Amelie to go around telling people about her disability, if anything she knew it would be the opposite.

But what she didn’t know, was what her reaction would be. And the last thing Lena wanted from her was _pity_.

“...Another day then,” Lena smiled sadly. Amelie only nodded and closed her eyes, relaxing in her lap. 

“D’accord,” she replied, “Are we still getting frozen yoghurt?”

“Urgh, I don’t really wanna move,” Lena grumbled, “I kinda’ wanna just stay this way forever.”

“As do I,” Amelie said. She readjusted her head in her lap, accommodating to her thigh slightly better, “Is this okay?”

Lena smiled, marvelling her friend’s soft features as Amelie nodded on and off, “Yeah, this is okay.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I’d have chapter 4 written out by now but damn school is really fucking me up so sorry if the next update is like 5 months later yeet


	4. October 31st, 2018/2017

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay lmao. Shit's been so busy recently but we vibing boys :)

“I can’t believe you’re almost thirty,” Amelie said from Lena’s kitchen, scavenging cupboards and her fridge for a water bottle Lena swore was somewhere in there.

“Yeah,” Lena answered as she left her room with a towel wrapped around her neck, “Did you forget what birthday I’m on? Do you know how old I am?”  
  


“Like, 12,” Amelie said with a small snicker, “13, maybe.”

  
The slap to her arm wasn’t a surprise. Amelie laughed.

“What? You have an anime background on your monitor and you play video games for a living,” she defended before reaching for another cupboard. Lena walked over and opened the one next to her and handed her a bottle.

“Oi, sorry not all of us can be supermodels,” Lena shot back, grabbing a water bottle for herself. She scrubbed her hair dry with the towel before tossing it onto a nearby couch, which Amelie grimaced at and deliberately took a seat on the opposite side of it. Lena flopped down next to her.

“Yet your house habits are still like a child’s.”

“Sod off. I don’t have anyone to impress,” Lena remarked and flicked on her Xbox and TV.

“What time are we meeting at the bar again?” Amelie asked, eyes glazing over movies and shows on Netflix as Lena searched through her list. She watched as Lena hovered over _Black Mirror_ for a moment, undoubtedly thinking about watching _San Junipero_ for the 27th time since its release. Amelie rolled her eyes.

“Fareeha told me not to show up until 9,” Lena said and instead selected _The Office_ before loading a random episode, “You’re more than welcome to go ahead before, though. I’m sure they’re all already drinking themselves silly in between setting up.”

Amelie smirked, “What, are you embarrassed to walk in with me?” At that, Lena’s cheeks glowed bright red and in lieu of a response, she waved her hand in what she hoped came off as nonchalantly.

“If anything, it’s the opposite, love. Make heads turn wherever you go, I swear.” Lena managed to say without choking on her own words, “If you’d really rather stay here and watch _The Office_ with me as pre-gaming, though, you’re more than welcome.”

“Maybe I will,” Amelie smiled and nudged her knee at Lena.

They watched together in comfortable silence as the sun set and the could practically hear chatter from the bar across the street escalate as the night went on.

Around 8:45, Lena’s phone went off and the pair peeled themselves from the couch to cross the street to the bar. However, before heading out, Lena swiped a headband with little brown dog ears glued to the top and two white fang caps from her counter.

“Dealer’s choice,” Lena said cheerfully, holding up the items to her friend. Amelie chose the teeth and tore open its packaging as Lena secured the ears on her head. The pair now ‘dressed’ as a werewolf and her vampire partner.

“Do you have a tail to go with it?” Amelie teased, slipping on the fangs over her canines. Lena swallowed, eyes glued to that devious grin now accentuated by the fangs. She couldn’t form words and instead shook her head with a slight blush.

From the lobby, Amelie could see how much more people there than usual. Watching the crowd, she fondly remembered celebrating Lena’s birthday last year...

* * *

When Lena quietly confessed she hadn’t quite properly celebrated her birthday the last few years, Amelie insisted that she take her out for dinner or something.

“Like a date?” Lena had kidded.

“Like a date.” Amelie had said deadpanned in response.

Which was how Lena found herself in the more posh side of town. Amelie texted her a few hours before an address that was nearly a half an hour drive from their apartment complex.

And it was no Olive Garden like Lena had thought it was.

Clad in the finest pair of jeans she owned and a navy blue, long-sleeve button-up shirt covered in little orange and yellow foxes covered by a black blazer, Lena felt severely underdressed. Nonetheless, she locked her car by the curb and fell in the short line outside. Amelie pulled up soon after, parking behind Lena’s Jeep.

When she stepped out, Lena was certain the entire population of the city turned their heads to look at her.

Amelie chose to wear a sleek, golden dress, accented by the fine details of black swirls that highlighted her already curvy figure. The shoulder straps modestly covered her shoulders and wrapped around her neck, connecting in a V shape, exposing her sharp collarbone and emphasizing her even sharper jawline. There was an opening on the left of her waist where the dress split open, revealing a long toned leg and a spider tattoo Lena never noticed before.

Lena struggled to breathe as Amelie locked her car behind her.

“You look cute,” Amelie said nonchalantly as she approached, eyeing Lena’s outfit from head to toe with a small smirk.

“You too, love,” Lena managed to say without stuttering. Her eyes were glued to Amelie’s face.

“Did you get a chance to look over the menu,” Amelie asked, pulling it up on her phone, “They have a wide range of vegetarian entrees, I’ve made sure.”

She pointed to the screen towards Lena, who gaped at the prices listed under the photos.

“Uhm, what have they got for sides?” she said, half jokingly and half genuinely.

“Sides?”

Lena rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly as they shifted up in the line, “This is nice and all, don’t get me wrong, but this seems like a little much, even for me.”

“Nonsense,” Amelie huffed before she put her phone back in her purse, “It’s your birthday, and I want to celebrate it properly.”

“Besides,” she added slyly, brushing close to Lena and leaning down to whisper in her ear, “Isn’t this supposed to be a date?”

Her lips brushed the tip of her reddening ear, and whether it was on accident or on purpose, Lena still skittered away, blushing like mad and looking pointedly away from her companion.

“Y-yeah! Well, I know that and all but, we could’ve just gone for pizza or something. I love pizza!” Lena said, one hand reaching for her thigh and rubbing her sweaty palm against it, “You didn’t have to do all this.”

Amelie reached down for that hand and threaded her fingers between hers, “I wanted to… I’ve also heard their charcuterie boards are divine.”

And knowing Lena as well as she does now, Amelie didn’t miss the way her eyes suddenly lit up.

“Well why didn’t you say so sooner!” she grinned eagerly.

It wasn’t long until they were inside and led to their table, reserved near the back wall, away from the noisy chatter of the rest of the restaurant. Like a gentleman, Amelie pulled Lena’s seat out before taking her place across from her. Before their waiter could ask for their orders, Amelie slipped him a bill and requested “their finest wine.” He scurried away at once, giving them some privacy.

Lena was busy eyeing the interior and decor. Lavishly decorated walls and tasteful light designs gave both a sense of luxury and etiquette. Again, Lena felt woefully underdressed.

“Probably should’ve done my homework before heading out, huh?” Lena chuckled wryly, tugging at her collar. Amelie reached over and cupped her other hand.

“You look fine, _cherie_ ,” Amelie reassured, before reaching for a menu and sliding the other towards her, “And since it is your birthday and all, feel free to pick anything from the menu.”

Lena flipped to the vegetarian options and scanned the items. Sure, it was Amelie’s treat and all, but Lena still couldn’t help but go cross-eyed at the prices. Even the cheapest option felt like too much.

Their waiter returned all too quickly with two wine glasses and a bottle with a label Lena couldn’t pronounce to save her life. It seemed Amelie had already ordered and both looked to Lena for her order.

“I, uhm. I still need a second—“ Lena started, looking helplessly at the list again. Everything was at least $40, and she didn’t have the time to pull her phone out to research anything on the menu.

“What would you recommend?” Amelie piped up for her.

“Our _tian_ is our most popular dish, enough to serve two. The ingredients are locally sourced.”

Lena’s eyes fell to the bottom of the page and before she had a chance to register the price, Amelie agreed to it and he rushed off with both their menus, leaving behind only the glasses, the wine, and a corkscrew.

“I swear I’m paying back that back,” Lena said defiantly as Amelie poured her a glass of wine. The older woman scoffed as she handed Lena her glass.

“And _I_ already told you that you don’t need to. It’s your birthday, I wanted to celebrate, so I took you out,” Amelie topped off her own glass and held it up to Lena’s to clink glasses, “To 25?”

Lena finally sighed in defeat, picked up her glass, and clinked it gently against Amelie’s with a small smile.

“To 25.”

Lena took a small sip of the red wine, the first of many that night, sucking it off her tongue and hanging onto its surprising sweetness.

—

“—you wouldn’t believe it! The look on Amari’s face was worth the month-long toilet duties Sarge handed me,” Lena giggled, finishing off her glass. Amelie couldn’t help but grin with her.

“I still can’t believe you were that young, serving in active duty for the RAF. I was still living with my parents when I was that age.”

She waved a dismissive hand, reaching for the bottle of wine, “Believe me when I say that I just happened to be at the right place, at the right time. Or wrong place at the worst of times, if you think about it,” she leaned over to top off Amelie’s glass before filling her own, “But two wrongs make a right, amiright?”

“You were a prodigy,” Amelie said, “How did you become a streamer?”

“An… A-accident. Literally and figuratively,” Lena said. The conversation suddenly reached a dead end and Amelie sensed Lena’s tense demeanor. She reached across the table and gripped her hand in her own.

“I trust you will tell me in your own time.”

Lena’s hand slipped from Amelie’s and for an instant, Amelie was sent to a time where that motion was followed by a quiet but terse warning in the form of a bruising grip to her wrist--

Instead, presently, Lena reached for the tablecloth and fiddled with a loose strand.

“It’s just. Not the kind of story a lot of people want to hear.”

—

They finished dinner so late that the chairs found themselves upside down on tables and the owner constantly checking his watch by the entrance, coat in his arm. Not that Amelie would be rude enough as to not pay the man a significant tip to let them drink themselves silly and enjoy the ambient atmosphere of the city close to midnight.

The nasty sidelong glare and loss of a couple of hundred dollar bills didn’t bother Amelie as she guided Lena outside to their cars.

“Neither of us are sober enough to drive,” Lena slurred, her accent somehow heavier than when she was sober. Amelie only nodded and lifted her phone from her purse.

She ordered an Uber and assured Lena that their cars would be fine as they clambered into the car. The ride home was quiet but it was a content silence. Lena was still leaning on her, her breath tickling Amelie’s neck, and one arm wrapped around her waist. Amelie looped an arm over her shoulders, hugging her close and burying her nose in a sea of brunette locks. It smelled like hair gel and her perfume, Amelie thought belatedly like a drunken idiot. She traced small circles over her clothed biceps, and she couldn’t stifle the small giggle when she saw Lena’s eyes flutter, struggling to stay awake.

When they arrived at their building, Lena could barely keep her eyes open, choosing to blindly climb the stairs, Amelie behind her making sure she didn’t misstep and fall. Not that she was sober enough to be of any help if she were to stumble, but at least she could break her fall. It was her birthday, after all. Amelie would wear the bruise with pride.

When they arrived at Lena’s door without bruises or twisted ankles, Amelie found herself wishing that they stayed just a little longer at the restaurant. Had just one more glass just so their night wouldn’t have to end so soon.

Her thoughts were jarred when she heard a jingle and Lena swear as her keys fell from her grasp while she was trying to unlock her door.

It opened and Lena took half a step inside and paused suddenly. Amelie raised a brow, stopping herself from going towards her own apartment.

Lena whipped around, and almost as blindly as she was climbing the stairs up, her hand found Amelie’s cheek. Gently and slowly, she moved her hand to the nape of her neck, tugging Amelie down. Amelie, too stunned to speak or move besides to bend at Lena’s will, bowed for her.

Her cheeks were set ablaze when she felt a soft breath graze her cheek. A pair of wet lips planted a small kiss to her jaw and Amelie closed her eyes.

And just like dinner, it ended all too quickly. Lena pulled away and retracted her hand, but Amelie could have sworn it lingered.

“Goodnight, Ame. Thank you, for tonight.”

The door shut before Amelie could say anything back, leaving her drunk and dumbfounded, fingers reaching for the spot where Lena kissed her.

* * *

Fareeha’s bar was highlighted by strings of orange lights that glowed like fireflies and the bar front was accompanied by carved pumpkins of all sizes and shapes. Lena snapped a photo of one that was sloppily carved but was still legible enough to read: ‘Cheers to 26, Tracer!’

The moment they stepped in, nearby folks greeted Lena with a friendly, “Happy birthday!”

“You’re popular,” Amelie noted as they weaved between people to their table. Lena chuckled.

“Yeah, sommat like that.”

At their table, it was their usual ring of friends save for Gabriel. Angela waved at them to come over, a huge witch hat containing most of her blonde locks. She raised a drink in each hand, one bright orange and the other pitch black.

“Ayy! It’s the birthday girl!” Hana grinned, already drunk on whatever she, Lucio, and McCree were sharing from a pitcher of glowing green liquid. She was dressed as a black cat, nose dotted black and cheeks streaked with wiggly black whiskers. Lucio next to her wore a neon green vest hoodie. The hood on his head had yellow eyes that glowed under the black light of the bar.

McCree didn’t appear to change his appearance for the night.

“You didn’t dress up?” Amelie asked, as Lena took the orange drink from Angela and gave Amelie the black one. McCree cocked his head to the side.

“Pardon?” he asked, nudging the brim of his hat from his eyes.

“For Halloween,” Amelie clarified, “You seemed like the type to do so.”

“I did dress up,” McCree said, still confused, “Imma’ cowboy.”

At that, Lena laughed into her drink but regretted it instantly when the liquid went down the wrong pipe and she started coughing and heaving. Amelie patted her back sympathetically and McCree huffed, crossing his arms.

“ _Desolee_ ,” Amelie snickered as Lena regained her composure.

McCree, still pouting, rolled his eyes then reached under the table and held up a skinny present in a bag for Lena, “You keep laughin’ at me and I might not give you your present, pumpkin.”

Lena took it gratefully, placing it on her side of the table, before realizing it was fruitless when the rest of her friends started to hand her their presents.

“Oh, this had better not be something expensive,” Lena said jokingly when lastly, Angela handed her a small and slender box, wrapped neatly in rainbow gift wrap and topped with a little bow on top. Angela only winked.

“Well, consider it a gift from Fareeha and me both. I was considering waiting for Christmas to give it, but Fareeha said she couldn’t wait anymore.”

Lena laughed and pocketed the present safely inside her coat pocket, patting over it for emphasis of its safekeeping.

From there, the night went on. Fareeha, in between serving drinks to other customers, came around to pass around shots and drop into conversation. Gabriel eventually showed up, Jack in tow, and both decidedly too sober, which the group took care of nearly the second they walked in.

But as it neared midnight, Amelie couldn’t help but notice Lena left a majority of her glasses full. When she asked, Lena only brushed her off, claiming that she wanted to be sober for when she opened her presents when she got home.

They didn’t start heading home until it inched into the early hours of tomorrow morning. First, it was Angela and Fareeha, the latter’s shift ending a few hours earlier, then Hana and Lucio, followed by McCree shortly after, and finally Jack and Gabriel.

Lena and Amelie followed them out the door and waved at the couple as they climbed into a yellow taxi.

“Text me when you get home,” Amelie called after them, before crossing the street to their building, carrying half of Lena’s small mountain of gifts.

Several failed attempts later, Lena managed to open her apartment door with two fingers and a foot. She stumbled in clumsily, unable to see around the presents in her arms, as Amelie stood awkwardly in the doorway, presents still in hand, unsure whether or not she should enter.

Lena looked over her shoulder and nearly laughed at the sight.

“You’re more than welcome inside, love,” she chided and Amelie hesitantly stepped inside.

“I’m sorry. I just felt like you’d want to have the night to yourself,” Amelie said, remembering how Lena barely touched any of her drinks and placed the gifts on the table where Lena left the rest of them. Lena shook her head and reached for McCree’s present.

“Nonsense. Besides, how else am I supposed to finish this thing?” Lena asked, slipping a bottle of red wine from the bag and pumping her brow. Amelie scoffed.

“You’re ridiculous,” Amelie said as Lena walked into her kitchen to retrieve a pair of wine glasses and a corkscrew from another drawer, “Aren’t you streaming tomorrow?”

“I’m taking the day off,” Lena said matter-of-factly. She opened the sliding door to her balcony and turned around to face her companion with a raised brow, “Unless you wanna turn in? I don’t know if you’ve got a shoot or not tomorrow. Don’t wanna keep you up all night and all.”

Lena took a seat on one of the patio chairs and it wasn’t long before Amelie followed after her. The balcony was decorated with all sorts of Halloween props. String lights hung from the rail along with a pumpkin balancing precariously on the corner. Upon closer inspection, Amelie realized the bottom of the pumpkin was taped to the rail with layers of duct tape. Just so… Lena.

Lena popped the cork with the corkscrew and topped off the glasses. Lena held hers up to Amelie with a small grin. Amelie returned the smile.

“To 26,” Amelie said softly, clinking her glass with Lena’s.

“Cheers, love,” Lena replied.

The two women tipped their heads back, wine going down the hatch.

“Y’know, I haven’t had this much fun for my birthday slash Halloween before.” Lena mused, swirling the dark red wine in its glass, “And believe me when I say that.”

“Your pregaming was spent on your couch and watching Netflix for two hours,” Amelie said wryly.

“Yeah, but I was with you,” Lena countered playfully. Amelie only rolled her eyes.

“I mean,” Lena piped up, “It was the most fun I’ve had since moving here.”

“When did you move here?” Amelie asked. Lena paused, seemingly counting silently as she sipped her wine.

“Just about five years now that I think about it.”

“What was wrong with those birthdays?”

Lena opened her mouth with a smirk but Amelie quickly silenced her with a finger to her lips, “Don’t--! Say it was ‘because we didn’t meet yet’ bullshit. I’m serious.”

Lena’s smirk fell and she looked over at Amelie, eyes searching. She opened her mouth to say something but quickly shut it as if changing her mind. She rubbed the back of her neck with her free hand, “First and second year here, I spent it living off of Hana’s couch. Third year I was moving boxes and shit out of Hana’s place into this apartment. And last year, you and I did that dinner thing.”

“Why didn’t you go out instead? If you don’t mind me asking,” Amelie asked gently.

“When I moved here, it was around the time I lost my leg. And I didn’t have the money to afford a shiny new prosthetic. It made walking and standing a bloody chore,” Lena grimaced slightly, but Amelie noticed, “Parents cut me off when they caught me locking lips with a girl.”

“Oh, Lena--” Amelie started but Lena waved her off with a sheepish smile.

“It’s nothing. I’m healing with therapy and all that,” she reassured but Amelie wasn’t convinced.

There was a pregnant pause between them, neither unsure of what to say.

“Look, Am’--”

“Lena, I--”

Realizing they spoke over each other, they laughed before Lena nudged her friend, encouraging her to speak first.

“What I meant to say is, which is practically verbatim what you told me on the beach,” Amelie said, “I won’t push you to tell me something you haven’t yourself confronted yet.”

Amelie smiled bitterly, looking into her almost empty glass, “I know what that felt like. And I’d hate for you to feel anything even vaguely similar.”

Lena’s insides flutter and for once, it wasn’t due to Amelie’s eyes or devilish smirk, “I… Uhm, thanks?”

She placed the glass down on the table between them and heaved a sigh, leaning forward to rest her arms on the guardrail and rested her chin on the palms of her hands.

“I was gonna’ say that I don’t want you to feel bad for me. To feel pity.”

“Good,” Amelie answered, watching Lena under the moon’s bright glow, “Because I have none to give.”

At that, for the first time tonight, Lena belted out a genuine laugh.

“What a relief!”

Slightly drunk on aged red wine, Lena told Amelie a story of a girl who's love for flying was challenged only by her love for women. And unfortunately, it was the latter that led to her being homeless at 17.

She spoke excitedly, recalling the shenanigans she and old squadmates got into during her brief time in the Royal Air-Force, which was how Lena met Hana, a fresh-faced and a bit crude recruit of Korea’s new experimental military unit, the Mobile Exo-Force of the Korean Army. Recalling the camaraderie and almost familial bond she shared.

Amelie listened on silently, never interrupting with a question or interjection, just listening. Even when Lena went into somewhat harrowing details of her diagnosis with bone cancer. Even when Lena recalled the details leading up to her amputation: x-rays of a tumor growing in her knee, talks of radiation, Ewing’s sarcoma, and finally the debate over amputation.

If she hadn’t ever met Hana during that one chance RAF and MEKA met, Lena would have returned home back on square one.

She held herself as if bracing for the past. She reminisced about how she was almost forced onto the streets again had it not been for Hana helping her back on her feet. How no matter how many times Lena slipped, Hana or Angela or, hell, even McCree always helped her back on her feet. How her rise to stardom on the Internet all began with one meme. How her parents have yet to ever check up on her after all these years.

“I guess it all worked out in the end though,” Lena added finally, “I’d still like to hear what my parents would think, though.”

Amelie reached over and held her hand, squeezing it gently, “I’m glad that at the end of all of it, you’re here with me.”

“Sap,” Lena quipped but squeezed back, “But I’m glad, too. You’re my best friend, Am.”

“Your tweets about my career have yet to cease though,” it’s an empty critique, of course, which elicits a giggle from Lena.

“Sorry, but I’ve got a reputation to uphold.”

“Oh please, what reputation?”

Lena scoffed before comfortable silence fell between them once again, holding hands and sipping warm wine.

“Happy birthday, Tracer.”

She beamed, “Thanks, love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> small reminder that I love the fuck outta comments. also since tumblr's a joke, hmu on twitter @wolf1Ez


	5. August 12, 2016

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ay lmao i'm alive but like barely. corona-free tho so that's good. Sorry for the short chapter, but just something to ~~buy some time~~ contextualize Jack's relationship with Lena

“Hana,” Jack called out over his shoulder, “Can you toss me a granola bar?”

He heard a smack as something collided with his back. Annoyed, he turned around to bend over and picked up the bar, “And you couldn’t just hand this to me because...?”

About five feet behind him, Lena is catching up, halfway over a log of a fallen tree, and five feet behind her, Hana was leaning against another tree. He wouldn’t have been able to spot her through the foliage had it not been for the bright pink hoodie she wore on their hike. 

Jack just sighed and trekked backward to Hana. 

“Let’s take another breather,” he said as he passed Lena and easily scaled the huge log she was struggling with. She scoffed at him and with every ounce of strength she could muster, pulled herself up and stood triumphantly on top of the log.

“Your weak, Hana!” she called out, “Also I’m not climbing down because I don’t think I can do it without your help.”

Jack laughed.

“Need water?” he asked as he approached Hana, offering her the tube to his water pack. She waved her hand and started tugging her hoodie off with some difficulty.

“Y’know when you said we were going for a hike, I didn’t think you meant like a hike-hike,” she grumbled, tying the arms of the sweater around her waist.

“What constitutes a hike-hike?”

Hana gestured to the scenery around them and flipped off the sun peeking between the higher foliage, “THIS.”

The ‘hike-hike’s were part of Jack and Lena’s regular breaks-from-the-media-type getaways he insisted they go on once every other week. Lena had resisted before, locking Jack out of her apartment whenever she knew he was coming. But he coaxed her out, starting with regular outings to strip malls, lunch in new restaurants the next town over, and walks in the park. 

Jack rolled his eyes but helped Hana up after she had some time to recuperate. 

“C’mon, I thought you’re a retired Korean army vet, where’s the hustle?”

Hana flipped him off and she gracefully climbed over the log Lena was currently stuck on.

“Screw you. I never had to put boots on ground. Piloting a MEKA never required me to run more than five miles, let alone five miles up a 90-degree wall,” she grumbled.

With Jack’s help, Lena was able to safely hop off the log. But instead of letting her down, he pulled her on his shoulders and blew a raspberry at Hana as he trotted by with Lena koala-ed on his back and whooping jovially in his ear.

At the peak, they look over the city, Lena demolishing any and all snacks left in Jack’s pack. 

“You’re gonna get cramps on our way down,” Jack said, stealing a chocolate chip off one of her granola bars. 

“I guess you’re just gonna have to carry me down,” Lena said as she popped the rest of the bar in her mouth. 

“No fair! I wanna turn on Jack’s beefy ass shoulders,” Hana jested. 

Slowly their eyes return to the horizon, but Hana sees something more beautiful that the hazy fire-like sunset amid the city skyline. Golden arches stand proud among a sea of gas stations and before Hana could make a suggestion, Lena and Jack’s eyes laser in the same direction her gaze was focused. 

“No.”

“We’re gonna gain more calories we lost.”

Hana cried. 

Halfway down, as Jack tried to convince Hana to not make a leap of faith over a muddy creek, Lena’s phone vibrated in her back pocket. She pulled it out and opened up the notification immediately, knowing full well what the notification was for. 

“What did I say about phones on hikes?” Jack asked, looking at her screen over her shoulder. It should’ve been intimidating and would’ve otherwise forced her to pocket her phone, but she was stuck staring at the most recent tweet from a model. 

“‘ _Amelie Gerard_?” Jack asked, “Isn’t that the model you roast every time she posts?”

Upon hearing the model’s name, Hana forgets trying to make the leap of faith and bounded over to the pair. 

“You gotta be fuckin’ kidding me. You have post notifications on for _her_?” Hana doubled over and clapped her hand on Lena’s shoulder, “You’re so whipped and you haven’t even met irl yet!”

Lena couldn’t respond, at least not intelligently. Her eyes were still glued to the photo Amelie posted of some intern dressed in all black in the background carrying what looked like an incredibly heavy load. But it wasn’t that man’s incredible ass that caught her eye, but it was Amelie’s seemingly naked shoulder and collarbone framing the bottom of the photo. Her neck and jawline framed the right, catching the slightest hint of a smirk.

The caption read: “ _Je ne vais plus te lâcher_.” 

Lena didn’t understand a lick of French — ah, damn, wait that probably wasn’t the best phrase… 

“Vibe check,” Hana said before flicking a pebble that nicked Lena right on the shin.

Broken from her stupor, she raised a brow at Hana.

“Oh sorry, wrong leg,” she flicked another pebble at the other leg. Lena, in response, kicked a wad of decaying leaves in her direction.

“Hey!” she yelped, jumping away just in time, “C’mon you’ve been standing there for hours, can we go home already?” 

“Yeah, yeah,” Lena waved her hand, eyes still glued to her screen, and walked in the direction they just came from before Jack twirled her around. She never looked up. “Lemme just try and come up with a decent comeback.”

“Why not just retweet it with your number?” Jack teased as he steered Lena in the right direction. She looked over her shoulder at him and grabbed her chest dramatically.

“ _Et tu, Brute_?” she proclaimed and fainted in his arms. He cackled and pulled the phone away from her hands, ignoring her protests and attempts at getting it back. 

“You’ll get this when we’ve all made it down safely. C’mon, it’s getting dark already and I only brought one flashlight.” 

Lena and Hana stuck to his heels after that, but they knew he would never have it in him to ever leave them behind. 

At the bottom of the mountain, Lena leaped on top of a picnic table and raised her hands above her head and stood on her tiptoes to flex her calves. 

“See?” she asked smugly as Jack handed her her phone, “No cramps!”

As she hopped down, she squatted a bit stiffly on the landing, and like a scene from a Friday night rom-com, her calf cramped and she collapsed to the ground lying deathly still. 

Jack stood over her smugly and Hana snapped a photo of her before Lena could stop her. 

She got thousands of views on her Instagram story and a few memes out of Lena’s colorful vocabulary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> aye so imma be real. I read fanfics like all the time but lately the drive to really write and to sit down and write well and something I myself am proud to write has been kinda low lately. i do plan to finish this of course but after TSM, i dont have any other projects in the works. i might think up of stuff, and i might find that spark again, but rn id rather not write really shitty fics that ik ill regret later 
> 
> but i do other things too n i hope yall support me if i do stop writing fics. hmu on twitter @wolf1Ez for art n random tweets n i love uuu


End file.
